December 16 - Johnny Tremain

This movie has a scene that happens today – December 16. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

JOHNNY TREMAIN   

In pre-Revolutionary War Boston, Johnny Tremain is the apprentice to silversmith Mr. Lapham. The wealthy, pro-British Mr. Lyte brings in a silver tea pitcher for a repair. Johnny tells Priscilla Lapham that his mother told him he was related to Mr. Lyte and shows her his mother’s silver christening cup with the Lyte crest as proof.  The Sons of Liberty are agitating against the import of tea by the East India Company, on which a tax will have to be paid. After consulting with Paul Revere, Johnny tries to repair the pitcher, but burns his hand and as a result must give up his apprenticeship. He goes to see Lyte, who has him arrested, claiming Johnny stole the christening cup. The Sons of Liberty rally to Johnny’s defense and get Josiah Quincy to defend him. Johnny is acquitted after Priscilla testifies that the day Johnny showed her the cup was before Lyte reported the cup stolen. Johnny goes to work at the Boston Observer newspaper and becomes a messenger for the Sons of Liberty. On December 16, 1773 [29:47 to 41:31] Johnny participates in the Boston tea party. This provokes the Intolerable Acts where the port of Boston was closed. Lyte returns to England and offers to take Johnny with him, now believing Johnny is a relative, but Johnny refuses. When the British prepare to seize arms at Concord, Johnny carries the message of “two” to the Old North Church and then rides to Lexington. He is on the green when the ‘shot heard round the world’ is fired and later fights at Concord and during the British retreat to Boston.

A decent Disney live-action film. Has good, realistic characters and mainly sticks to the actual historical facts about what happened. It seems somewhat dated now and Disney should probably re-make this film to update it.  

The Long Fuse: How England Lost the American Colonies 1760-1785 by Don Cook

(The Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 1995) at page 177 gives the date

Producer - Walt Disney

Director - Robert Stevenson 

Screenplay - Thomas W. Blackburn

Runtime – 1 hour 20 minutes

Released – June 19, 1957

Starring -

Hal Stalmaster as Johnny Tremain

Luana Patten as Priscilla Lapham

Jeff York as James Otis

Sebastian Cabot as Jonathan Lyte

Richard Beymer as Rab Silsbee

Walter Sande as Paul Revere